Straight bar knitting machines



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June 6, 1967 E. START ETAL 3,323,332

4 STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Deo. v28, 1964 8 Sheets-Sheet 2June 6, 1967 E. START ETAL 3,323,332

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STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Deo. 28, 1964 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 TL EA E@ 3d. f

E. START ETAL STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES June 6, 1967 8 Sheets-Sheet5 Filed Dec. 28, 1964 June 6, 1967 E. START ETAL STRAIGHT BAR KNITTINGMACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Dec. 28, 1964 June 6, 1967 E. STARTr-:TAL 3,323,332

' STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed DeC. 28, 1964 8 Sheets-Sheet 7June 6, 1967 E. START ET Al. 3,323,332

STRAIGHT BAR KNIT'I'ING MACHINES Filed Deo. 28, 1964 8 Sheets-Sheet 8United States Patent() 3,323,332 STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINES ErnestStart, Ruddington, and Leonard Brown, Nottingham, England, assignors toWilliam Cotton Limited Filed Dec. 2S, 1964, Ser. No. 421,235 Claimspriority, application Great Britain, Dec. 27, 1963, 51,074/ 63 9 Claims.(Cl. 66-109) This invention is for improvements in or relating toCottons patent or similar straight bar knitting machines and concernsthe control of needle loops on frame or vertical bearded needlesprimarily of coarse gauge machines.

In the knitting of fabric on these machines the loops at the selvedgestend to rise up the selvedge needles to a position slightly higher thanthe remaining needle loops, and this alone necessitates criticaladjustment of the machine in an endeavour to ensure that all the needlebeards press satisfactorily between the old loops and newly laid yarn.Further, as the thread carrier is accelerated from rest there is atendency to snatch at the yarn causing the selvedge loops to risefurther up the selvedge needles thereby rendering the machine adjustmentmore critical. In addition there can be further raising of the selvedgeloops if there is excessive tension or drag on the yarn which may be dueto any of a plurality of different causes e.g. a badly wound yarnpackage.

Because of the possibility of this excessive rising of the selvedgeloops, it becomes almost impossible with coarse gauge machines (Le. 9,6, 41/2 gauge) for any adjustment of the machine to ensure satisfactoryselvedging.

Another difficulty encountered in the machines when adapted for tuckstitching is in the control of the tuck loops which tend to lie somewhatloosely about the needles, i.e. they are not pulled back against theneedle stems, with a result that the yarn of the tuck loops can becomesplit by descending needle beards or the loops can vbe cast off theneedles when this is not intended. It is further difficult to ensurethat fashioning points enter the needle loops without splitting theyarn.

An object of the invention is to provide for control of the frame needleloops in such improved manner, primarily on coarse gauge machines, thatselvedging, ing and fashioning operations can ybe satisfactorilyperformed.

The invention provides a Cottons patent or similar straight bar knittingmachine having sinkers and knocking over bits, and yarn control meanscomprising yarn control elements which are operable in association withthe knocking over bits and each of which provides a nose for-mationprojecting upwardly from a side of its associated knocking over bit.Conveniently each nose formation forms with the catch of the adjacentknocking over bit a V shaped notch the upper edge of which is dened byan inclined underside edge of the nose formations for directing needleand/ or tuck loops downwardly and firmly against the needle stems.

The nose formations may be secured to the sides of the knocking overbits or formed integral therewith but in offset relation thereto.

The nose formations may be employed in a machine having the duplicateknocking over bits and/ or the duplicate sinkers disclosed in ourBritish Patent No. 1,029,400.

The invention also provides a Cottons patent or similar straight barknitting machine having yarn control elements associated with knockingover bits and operated by modied knocking over cams to hold selvedgeloops down ICC at the presser stage, also to hold tuck loops down andpulled against the needle stems, and further tohold loops down forpenetration by fashioning points.

The above and other features of the invention set out in the appendedclaims are incorporated in the construction which will now :be describedas a specific embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of loop forming elements in a Cottonspatent straight bar knitting machine according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is similar view to FIGURE 1 at the start of a course.

FIGURE 2B is a similar view to FIGURE 2 showing usual selvedgingarrangement.

FIGURE 3 is a similar view to FIGURE 2 at a later stage.

FIGURE 3B is a face view of tuck fabric on the needles,

FIGURE 3C is a detail view of a needle with tuck stitches thereon inusual manner.

FIGURE 3d is a similar view to FIGURE 3B modified according to theinvention.

FIGURE 3e is a similar view to FIGURE 3C modified according to theinvention.

FIGURE 4 is a si-milar view to FIGURE 3 at a still later stage.

FIGURE 5 is a similar view to FIGURE 4 at a later stage.

FIGURE 6 is a similar view to FIGURE 4 at a further later stage.

FIGURE 7 is a similar view to FIGURE 4 showing fashioning.

FIGURE 8 is a similar View to FIGURE 7 showing fashioning at a laterstage.

FIGURE 9 is a cross sectional view of the machine showing relevant partsthereof.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 9 the machine is represented by a needle bar1 having needles 2 with beards 3, thread carrier 4 with yarn Y, sinkerbar 5 with sinkers 6, and knocking over bits 8.

The sinkers 6 and the knocking over bits 8 are in this example induplicate according to said British Patent No. 1,029,400 to whichreference is directed for full details. Alternatively the knocking overbits may be provided singly.

In addition there is provided projecting upwardly from between theknocking over bits of each pair thereof nose formations 9 of yarncontrol elements.

In this example the elements are secured to the inner side of oneknocking over bit of each pair thereof, although the elements may beseparate and mounted in the same trick 9a as the knocking over bit.

Further the elements can be formed if desired integrally ,with knockingover bits but in an offset relation thereto.

The nose formations extend in a vertical plane alongside the verticalplane containing the knocking over bits and respective sinkers, so thatthe nose formations project up between the sinkers of each pair thereof.

The nose formations 9 have inclined underside edges 10 forming with thecatches 11 of the knocking over bits 8 V shaped notches 12 at a higherlever than the notches 13 in the knocking over bits.

The needles 2 are in the usual manner operable by the needle bar beingpivoted on arms such as 14 which are secured on a shaft 15. Also securedon this shaft 15 is the usual cam follower 16 engaging the usual cam 17on the machines main cam shaft 35 for imparting up and down movements tothe needles. Secured to the needle bar 1 is an arm 18 pivotallyconnected to an arm 19 which is connected at 20 to a cam follower 21engaging the usual cam 22 on the shaft 35 for imparting to the needles ahorizontal motion.

The knocking over bits 8 are operable by the knocking over bar 7 beingconnected by an arm 23 to an arm 24 secured on a shaft 25. Also securedon this shaft 25 is a cam follower 26 engaging the usual cam 27 on theshaft 35 for imparting to the knocking over bits the usual up and downmotion.

For the horizontal motion of the knocking over bits a link 28 ispivotally connected to the knocking over bar 7 `and to an arm 29 on ashaft 30 on which there is also secured an arm 31 connected by a line 32to one arm 33a of a bell crank lever 33. The other arm 33b of the bell`crank lever 33 is a cam follower engaging a cam 34. The usual shape forthe cam 34 is indicated in broken lines.

According -to the invention the shape of this cam 34 is modified asindicated in full lines by being enlarged at the usual nose 34a of thecam, and except for two trimmed back portions Mb, 34e at opposite sidesof the nose 34a, also enlarged for the remainder of the cam as at 34d. Aportion 34e which is usually iiattened is part circular.

This modified cam 34 operates the knocking over bits in the modifiedmanner now to be described.

In FIGURE l the knocking over bits 8 are shown advanced by cam portion34d just prior to the start of the draw so that the inclined edges ofthe advanced nose formations 9 direct all the loops L down to a commonlow level.

FIGURE 2 shows the start 0f the draw during which the nose formations 9remain advanced by cam portion 34d so that particularly the selvedgeloop L remains firmly held down, i.e., without rising up the needle stemas in the conventional arrangement shown in FIG- URE 2B.

FIGURE 3 shows the needles advancing to press against presser edges 14during which all the loops L continue to be held down by the advancednose formations 9 spaced from the new yarn Y to provide ideal conditionsfor pressing of the needle beards 3 between the new yarn and old loops.This enables satisfactory selved-ging for plain or tuck fabric.

In tuck fabric the tuck loops TL in the example of FIGURE 3B are onevery alternate needle. Since the tuck loops are held on the needles forone or more courses there is usually a tendency for the tuck loops tobecome slack, i.e., without being pulled firm against the needle stems.Consequently as the needles lower, FIGURE 3C, there is a tendency eitherfor the needle beards 3 to split the yarn as indicated, or for tuckloops to become cast off the needles when this is not intended.

FIGURE 3d shows the use of the advanced nose formations 9 which act atleast on the tuck loops TL last formed and press them liirmly againstthe needle stems. The effect of this, as shown in FIGURE 3e, is that thetuck loops TL are clear of the needle beards when the needles arelowered.

FIGURE 4 shows that the control of the loops L by the advanced noseformations 9 continues through the landing position, i.e., while the oldloop is safely landed on the closed needle beard 3 followed by theknock-over bits easing back by the cam portion 3419.

The usual knock over is shown in FIGURE 5 where the knock over bar hasbeen retracted by cam portion 34b and re-advanced by cam portion 34awith the fabric held by the usual notches 13 of the knocking over bits.

Following the knock over the needles 2 rise carrying the loops L withthem after retracting the knocking over bits by cam portion 34C as faras the undersides Of the sinkers 6 as shown in FIGURE 6. Thereafter thecontinued rise of the needles is accompanied by advance 0f the knockingover bits by cam portion 34d so that the 4- nose formations 9 direct thefabric down to the starting position of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 7 shows that when fashioning, the boxing of the fashioning points15 is accompanied by the knocking over bits 8 advancing by the usualfashioning earn 36 having an appropriate enlargement 36a so thateventually the nose formations 9 hold all the loops L at a common lowlevel which is ideal to ensure that the fashioning points pick up theloops satisfactorily without the points splitting the yarn.

FIGURE 8 shows a stage slightly later than FIGURE 7, where the knockingover bits have fully advanced by said cam portion 36a so that the noseformations 9 urge the loop L tightly against the needle stems. This isparticularly important when fashioning tuck fabric, since the fashioningmotion is without newly laid yarn, and if tuck loops are not held firmagainst the needles in the fashioning motion, there loops could mast offthe needles and lay as float bars of thread on the fabric.

What we claim is:

1. A Cottons patent or similar straight bar knitting machine havingsinkers and knocking over bits, and yarn control means comprising yarncontrol elements Which are operable in association with the knockingover bits and each of which provides a nose formation projectingupwardly from a side of its associated knocking over bit.

2. A machine according to claim 1 wherein each nose formation has aninclined underside edge for directing stitches downwardly on theknitting instrumentalities of the machine, and for forming with theupper horizontal surface of the catch of the adjacent knocking over bitand V-shaped notch for maintaining the stitches firmly against theinstrumentalities.

3. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the nose formations aresecured to the sides of the knocking over bits or formed integraltherewith but in offset relation thereto.

4. A machine according to claim 1 having the duplicate knocking overbits for each pair of next adjacent needles, and one of said yarncontrolling elements in operable association with one knocking over bitof each of the duplicate knocking over bits.

5. A Cottons patent or similar straight bar knitting machine having yarncontrol elements associated with knocking over bits and operated byknocking over cams modified by an enlarged nose flanked by reduceddiameter portions of the remainder being of enlarged diameter to holdselvedge loops down at the presser stage, also to hold tuck loops downand pulled against the needle stems, and further to hold loops down forpenetration by fashioning points.

6. A straight bar knitting machine having a row of simultaneouslyoperable needles, a row of sinkers, a row of knocking over bits in thesame vertical planes as the sinkers, yarn control elements operable inassociation with the knocking over bits, a nose formation on eachcontrol element projecting upwardly from a side of its associatedknocking over bit, and cam operated means for operating the knockingover bits.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 6 wherein the cam operating meansincludes a knocking over cam having a nose fianked by reduced diameterportions, and the remaining part of enlarged diameter.

8. A Cottons patent or similar straight bar knitting machine whereinknocking over bits are operable in horizontal direction by a knockingover cam, characterized by having yarn control elements operablyassociated with the knocking over bits, and nose formations on the yarncontrol elements projecting upwardly from a side of their associatedknocking over bits.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 8 having the knocking over cam modifiedby an enlarged nose iianked by reduced diameter portions, and theremainder being of enlarged diameter.

(References on following page) 5 6 References Cited 3,006,172 10/ 19161Porter 616-109 Porter 2,098,739 I11/1937 Chipman 66-109 FOREIGN PATENTS2,142,754 1/1939 Jones et a1. 66-82 5 368,896 3/1932 Hilscher. 2,142,7561/1939 Mins 66-82 MER I S EI P E 2,197,715 1/1940 Waechtler 66-82 V N TN "mary mme R. FELDBAUM, Assistant Examiner.

1. A COTTON''S PATENT OR SIMILAR STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE HAVINGSINKERS AND KNOCKING OVER BITS, AND YARN CONTROL MEANS COMPRISING YARNCONTROL ELEMENTS WHICH ARE OPERABLE IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE KNOCKINGOVER BITS AND EACH OF WHICH PROVIDES A NOSE FORMATION PROJECTINGUPWARDLY FROM A SIDE OF ITS ASSOCIATED KNOCKING OVER BIT.